Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Friday that his country will invite Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to attend the upcoming Arab League summit in Baghdad.
His statement constitutes the first official Iraqi stance on developments in Syria since the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and the appointment of al-Sharaa as Syria's new president.
Baghdad prepares to host the Arab League summit in May. Observers consider the event as an opportunity to break the stalemate in the relations between Baghdad and Damascus.
In an interview with France24, Hussein said he sent an official invitation to his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shibani, who is expected to visit Baghdad very soon.
Al-Shibani had earlier said he will visit the Iraqi capital following an official invitation. The Syrian minister expressed intent to discuss border security and economic cooperation with Iraqi officials.
Al-Sharaa to Visit Baghdad
“There will be the Arab League Summit in Baghdad next May and Iraq is going to invite all Arab leaders, including Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa,” Hussein said.
He affirmed that the Iraqi government has no preconditions regarding relations with Syria, but announced that Baghdad has a set of views regarding the future of its neighbor.
Hussein addressed the presence of ISIS terrorists in eastern Syria, saying they “are very much active nowadays” and “because of the fact that they are on the border, they can be a threat for Iraq.”
Therefore, the Minister said, Baghdad needs to cooperate with Syria to attack ISIS and prevent its resurgence.
Meanwhile in Baghdad, the upcoming visit of Syria’s Foreign Minister has raised controversy, particularly over how Iraq must deal with the New Administration in Damascus, while the Iraqi government is engaged in international dialogue on helping Syria organize a comprehensive political process.
Baghdad remains hesitant to engage with the new regime in Syria in the presence of powerful Iraqi political groups linked to Iran.
Iraqi politician Mashan al-Jabouri told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Iraq's decision to engage with Syria remains largely decided by (Shiite) armed factions.”
He explained that the visit of the Syrian Foreign Minister to Iraq will not much affect the Iraqi-Syrian relations.
But, he said, “it will be an official recognition of the change that happened in Syria.”
While in Baghdad, al-Shibani will tackle several issues, including border security and the opening of crossings.
Sources said the issue of Syrian officers and soldiers who entered Iraq and have settled in shelter centers after the overthrow of al-Assad’s regime, will also be placed on the table.
Around 200 Syrian soldiers and officers have crossed into Iraq through the Al-Qaim border crossing in the west of the country and stayed in shelter centers.
“Most of them hold different military ranks. The Iraqi government is following their affairs on a daily basis,” the sources said, noting that “their presence in Iraq bets on the outcome of the Iraqi-Syrian talks that will start soon.”
